Sayles adapting to injury fill-in role

Rookie cornerback looking good in starting opportunity

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 9:27 PM CDT Thursday, Jul. 5, 2018

Marcus Sayles experienced the thrill of his first career interception and the crushing low of being burned for a 25-yard touchdown catch by Hamilton wide receiver Terrence Toliver — all while he was making his CFL debut against the Tiger-Cats in Week 3.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/07/2018 (2679 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The rookie Winnipeg cornerback says he will employ the tough lessons he learned in a 31-17 loss to the Ticats when the Blue Bombers host the B.C. Lions at Investors Group Field Saturday night.

“I think I was playing a bit too conservative,” Sayles said following practice Thursday afternoon. “I was playing too deep. I felt like their waggle was pushing me a little bit faster than I needed to be. So, when I was backpedalling, you know, they were able to hit a lot of under routes. Going into next game, I need to slow down my (back)pedal, slow down my shuffles and be able to read their routes better…

Peter Power / The Canadian Press Files
Winnipeg Blue Bombers cornerback Marcus Sayles (right) has turned heads with his play early in his rookie season. — Peter Power / The Canadian Press Files Winnipeg Blue Bombers cornerback Marcus Sayles (right) has turned heads with his play early in his rookie season.

“I want to be closer to receivers, play more aggressive and challenge them.”

Sayles, a 23-year-old from Alpharetta, Ga., was thrust into a starting job with injuries to defensive backs Brandon Alexander and Anthony Gaitor.

Gaitor’s spot was filled by Kevin Fogg, who moved over from cornerback, and Alexander’s role was assumed by Maurice Leggett, making his first start of the season after a lengthy rehab from Achilles tendon surgery.

Sayles, meanwhile, took Fogg’s former spot at corner and is expected to reprise the role again Saturday.

Those changes were ruthlessly exploited by Ticats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and Winnipeg’s challenge against B.C. is to avoid a similar fate when facing Lions quarterback Jonathon Jennings.

Winnipeg’s two-time CFL all-star safety Taylor Loffler understands rookie Americans have a particularly tricky adjustment.

“It’s a different league, right? Coming up here, you’ve got the waggle,” Loffler said. “Americans are seeing that for the first time. I understand, even coming here from UBC, it’s a different ball game. Guys are faster. It was a little bit of an adjustment period for me when I was first drafted, but I can see it’s more of an adjustment for American guys.”

Sayles insists he’ll adjust.

“Honestly, when it comes to double moves, it’s about technique,” Sayles said.

“It’s about getting your eyes right. It’s about trusting the defence you’re in. When I’m in a single-man coverage, I can’t be as aggressive on routes like that.

“That’s an experience thing.”

Veteran defensive backs coach Jordan Younger, in his first year with the Blue Bombers, expects his pupils to become a more cohesive unit over time. He’s not panicking and he believes a trial by fire early in the season can make players better prepared later in the season.

“What we have is a collection of veterans and younger players,” Younger said. “But it’s all their first year playing together. It’s a familiar system for some of the guys, with some tweaks, and it’s a completely new system for the others.

“Every team is going to have injury challenges throughout the course of the year and the way you adjust is to move the pieces around to cover the holes. You don’t ever want to throw a rookie into a position he’s not prepared for, but in the long run, I think the experience will help us (get to) where we want to go.”

Young players such as Sayles can’t be overwhelmed by the differences between B.C. and Hamilton.

“An out (route) is an out and a go (route) is a go, but the way they package them together is different,” Younger said. “So some of the patterns, the way they cross each other, the way they run down the field with, the speed they run down with, the formations they line up in. There’s little nuances and things that make their offence specific.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14